Just like that, summer is over.
I can’t believe that the last time I was here was right after I returned from France. I still want to tell you all about the wonderful gardens and Chateau du Rivau in Chinon, but that will have to be another time. I have a bit of catching up to do!
May turned into June and July and then August in a frenzy of activity. While I would like to say that I, myself, was the cause of all the busyness, really, it was the kids that kept me on the go this summer.
We began the first of what is now dubbed, “The College Sweatshirt Tour”. We amassed quite a collection of collegiate logo wear, not to mention several hundred miles in the car each weekend! I am proud that the girls are both spending their summers at various colleges taking classes and getting a sense of college life and what will be necessary for their applications and their aspirations. We are already planning the classes for next year.
During one of our (three) trips to Boston, we stayed in Providence one night and visited with one of my very best friends and dined at a fabulous restaurant, Bacaro. Hungry after the long drive, we ordered nearly the entire menu- platters of tapas, grilled pizzas, entrees, and desserts. Each dish was extremely flavorful and beautifully presented. It was nonstop eating until we just couldn’t anymore. Then, moaning from fullness, we walked back to her house in an attempt to digest before we collapsed for the night. Lunch the next day was a feast of leftovers from all the doggie bags we ended up bringing back. We will definitely return there again- but maybe not order so much food next time!
In Boston, we were able to do a little sightseeing (The Boston Science Museum was terrific!) and ended up dining at Summer Shack on three occasions. When traveling with kids, sometimes you find a place that everyone likes so you stick with it. Honestly, it was mostly me that wanted to go back. I absolutely loved their grilled fish with sweet potato and grilled corn hash. It was sweet, spicy and had little bits of crispy bacon- so good, I wanted more!
We also tried Griddler’s Burgers and Dogs for some better than fast food hotdogs (fun spot for the kids) and Hannah introduced us to Insomnia Cookies that was a daily ritual during her BU stay.
We also met up with Jackie Gordon of The Diva That Ate NY who was visiting with Lisa Goldfinger of the beautiful blog, Panning The Globe. Lisa opened her home to us one evening and she and Jackie prepared platters of glorious food. I’ve followed Lisa’s blog for quite some time so it was truly wonderful to meet her in person. If you have not seen it, please do go visit.
For my birthday, which I don’t really celebrate, after a breakfast crepe cake we ventured to Jackson Heights, Queens where I ate arepas, momos and more. We made an afternoon mini food crawl, but we are clearly amateurs since we only went to three places before everyone was full. I also finally got a chance to visit Despaña in Soho where we had tapas of patatas bravas, tortillas, and cervezas.
Labor Day weekend we went to a blow out barbecue hosted by my dear friend Lora of Diary of a Mad Haus Frau. There was much eating and deliciousness there, not to mention the awesome company. Jackie (Gordon) and Lora cooked up so many terrific dishes and Paul (Jackie’s partner) ran a liquid nitrogen ice cream bar and manned the grill. Ben also had a great time with Vicki Winters and her husband Daniel flying his drone. Fun!
In addition to my chocolate ganache tart, I brought one of my favorite salads to make, Bok Choy Salad with Soy Ginger Dressing. I’ve had this recipe for many years. Mine is a hand written and photocopied version that was given to me. I honestly have no idea who actually invented it, but a search of the internet it seems like it is a quite popular recipe in its many incarnations. So to whomever can claim this as their own, my many thanks. It’s a crowd pleaser. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
- For the Salad:
- 3 heads of bok choy, chopped with some of the white stems
- 2 bunches scallions, chopped with some of the green stems
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 2 packages Ramen noodles, broken up and you can save or discard the flavoring packet
- For the Dressing:
- ½ cup of sugar
- ½ cup Evoo
- ⅓ cup white vinegar
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- ¼-1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- In a large bowl add the chopped bok choy, scallions, sunflower seeds, and almonds. Sprinkle the broken Ramen noodles over the top and give the salad a quick toss.
- Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake to combine.
- Just before serving, dress the salad with as much dressing as you would like for your taste. Save the remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Now that I am back home each weekend, I will be in the kitchen a lot more and writing again. I already have a few posts in draft that will be coming, so stay tuned!